Canberra-based Brendan Jones will return to Arizona for his PGA TOUR Champions debut after securing his 2025 Tour card in dramatic fashion at TPC Scottsdale.

Tied for fifth entering the final round of Final Stage of the Qualifying Tournament that distributes five Tour cards at the completion of 72 holes, Jones fell outside the top 10 with three bogeys in his opening eight holes.

With full status slipping away, Jones (pictured far right with fellow qualifiers Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar, Soren Kjeldsen and Freddie Jacobson) conjured six birdies in his final 10 holes to finish tied for third at 14-under par.

A bogey on the final hole by American Dicky Pride ensured a playoff would not be required, fellow Aussies Andre Stolz and Scott Barr relegated to a tie for sixth as a result of Jones’s stunning finish.

Not due to celebrate his 50th birthday until March 3, Jones will miss the opening three events of the 2025 season before being eligible to debut at the Cologuard Classic in Tucson from March 7-9.

It continues Australia’s recent run of success at Champions Tour Q School after four secured status last year and two the year prior.

Although heartbroken by their near miss, both Stolz and Barr are eligible to play in open qualifiers in 2025. It is the same status that Greg Chalmers used to play his way into 20 events this year and ultimately finish 25th in the Charles Schwab Cup to secure full status in 2025.

Queenslander Cameron Smith has returned to the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking with a fourth top-three finish in his past five starts.

Teeing off an hour before the final group, Smith’s bogey-free final round of 9-under 62 saw him post 21-under par.

It would hold up all afternoon, the 31-year-old joining eventual champion Joaquin Niemann and American Caleb Surratt in a playoff.

“I think it was a bonus to even get in there, to be fair, sitting down for an hour and a bit,” said Smith, who climbed 21 spots to 80th in the world ranking.

“I was thinking my percentage of having a top five was very slim.

“It’s kind of lucky that there wasn’t any beers in the clubhouse because I would have had a few, I think.

“It’s a weird game sometimes, and you never really know what’s going to happen.”

BMW Australian PGA champion Elvis Smylie is second on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings after finishing in a tie for 14th at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa while Robyn Choi remains in the hunt to earn back LPGA Tour status at LPGA Q Series for the second straight year.

Medallist 12 months ago, Choi is in a tie for 19th entering the fifth and final round, the top 25 and ties to secure full status for 2025 where she intends to build on her 2024 performances.

“I feel like if I can just keep playing the way I am right now and get my card again, I think I can take some revenge,” said Choi.

“I feel like I’m a little bit more comfortable going into next year.”

Photo: Rudy Ramirez/PGA TOUR Champions

Results Asian Tour PIF Saudi International Riyadh Golf Club, Saudia Arabia 1 Joaquin Niemann 65-66-65-67—263 $US1m Won in sudden-death playoff 2 Cameron Smith 67-64-70-62—263 $412,500 4 Ben Campbell (NZ) 68-68-64-64—264 $235,000 T9 Matt Jones 67-66-68-67—268 $90,035.71 T17 Travis Smyth 66-66-68-69—269 $62,600 T22 Jak Carter 70-66-66-68—270 $50,500 T29 Brett Coletta 70-69-64-68—271 $41,600 T42 Lucas Herbert 68-69-67-70—274 $27,375 T50 Nick Voke (NZ) 68-68-73-66—275 $21,583.33 T50 Wade Ormsby 70-68-66-71—275 $21,583.33 MC Daniel Gale 72-69—141 MC Maverick Antcliff 71-70—141 MC Jed Morgan 70-71—141 MC Marc Leishman 70-72—142 MC Danny Lee (NZ) 74-73—147

PGA TOUR Hero World Challenge Albany Golf Club, Albany, Bahamas 1 Scottie Scheffler 67-64-69-63—263 T19 Jason Day 75-70-73-71—289

DP World Tour Nedbank Challenge Gary Player CC, Sun City, South Africa 1 Johannes Veerman 70-71-73-69—283 €969,273.82 T14 Elvis Smylie 71-72-73-72—288 €82,506.48

PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Tournament – Final Stage TPC Scottsdale (Champions Cse), Scottsdale, Arizona 1 Søren Kjeldsen 64-65-65-66—260 T3 Brendan Jones 67-69-66-68—270 T6 Andre Stolz 69-70-66-66—271 T6 Scott Barr 67-67-67-70—271 T14 Mathew Goggin 69-68-67-72—276 T26 Brad Kennedy 71-68-71-69—279 T62 Dominic Barson (NZ) 73-70-74-74—291

Legends Tour MCB Tour Championship Mauritius Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius 1 Peter Baker 70-62-68—200 T27 Scott Hend 68-75-69—212 T41 Michael Long (NZ) 75-71-71—217 T47 Michael Campbell (NZ) 70-80-69—219

LPGA Tour LPGA Q-Series: Final Qualifying Magnolia Grove Golf Course, Mobile, Alabama Through four of five rounds. Top 25 and ties earn LPGA status 1 Chisato Iwai 67-69-68-62—266 T19 Robyn Choi 70-67-73-70—280